Method of and means for fiberization



Dec. 19, 1961 w. H. OWENS METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FIBERIZATION Filed April 10, 1957 O suo1w- Box I 721/672 0 a". Zia/1022112 106 6. {2

jfifllfl 3,013,299 METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FIBERHZATION Wiiiiam H. ()Wens, Wabash, Ind, assignor, by mesne assignments, to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, 151., a corporation of Kllinois Filed Apr. 1%, 1957, Ser. No. 651,941 (Zlaims. (Cl. 18-25) The present invention relates to the manufacture of mineral. wool and especially to a novel method of and means for fiberization of molten slag or fiber forming material, such as blast furnace slag, wool rock, vitreous materials and the like.

In the novel apparatus and method for carrying out the present invention, there is provided the novel combination of a rapidly rotating cup-shaped rotor for distributing or dividing the molten slag or fiber-forming material fed to the interior of the rotor, a steam ring for fiberizing the molten material centrifugally ejected over the peripheral discharge edge of the rotor in a substantially vertical plane or normal to the axis of rotation of the rotor, and a gas burner in the form of a ring disposed between the peripheral discharge edge of the rotor and the encompassing but spaced steam ring and provided with multiple relatively closely spaced orifices for projecting high velocity gas jets for intercepting and changing the direction of travel of the ejected molten material before reaching the steam ring. These gas jets divert the ejected molten material and direct this material in a path of travel in substantially the same direction as that of the steam jets and maintain at an elevated temperature the ejected molten slag that is discharged from the rotor along its entire periphery of 360 as substantially a sheet of multiple streams or rapidly moving particles fiberized by the multiple jets of steam from the steam ring,

'It is an important object of the present invention to provide a novel method and manner of deflecting the molten fiber-forming material centrifugally ejected from the rotor into the path of the jets of steam issuing from the steam ring. The high velocity gas jets which intercept and direct the ejected molten slag streams or particles into the path of the steam jets also prevent cooling of the ejected material before it is subject to the fiberizing action ofthe steam jets,

Not only do these high velocity gas jets deflect the path of travel of the molten fiber-forming material issuing from the rotor, but supply heat that maintains the elevated temperature of the molten material and prevents it from cooling off before it is fiberized by the steam jets. Thus the present assembly provides a novel means for and method of maintaining the fiber-forming material at an elevated temperature during its travel from the rotor into proximity of the steam ring, as well as deflecting and changing its path of travel to a direction substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the steam jets issuing from the encompassing steam ring.

The present invention further comprehends a novel combination in a fiberizing apparatus in which the molten slag is centrifugally ejected from the peripheral edge of a rotor and, before reaching the steam fiberizing ring, the ejected, divided and distributed molten material is. intercepted and directed by means of high velocity gas jets 3,013,299 Patented Dec. 19, 1961 into the path of travel of fiberizing steam jets issuing from an encompassing steam ring.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel method and manner of fiberizing molten slag into fibers of substantial length in that the resulting fibers are not subjected to the shattering force-s: encountered when a jet of relatively cool gas or steam is employed to intercept and change the direction of the ejected molten material and to fiberize such material.

Further objects are to provide an assembly and method of maximum simplicity, efficiency and economy, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view in vertical cross section through the novel fiberizing assembly including a distributing rotor, a concentric gas burner ring and a steam ring shown mounted in a collecting hood, and showing diagrammatically and on a substantially smaller scale an associated collection chamber in which the formed fibers are collected.

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the rotor and encompassing rings, the view being taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the disclosure in the drawings and to the novel illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the fiberization unit or assembly is shown mounted in a collecting hood 10 opening into a collection chamber 11 through a portal 12.

The fiberizing unit includes a cup-shaped rotor, divider or distributing wheel 13 to the interior 14 of which a freely-falling stream of molten slag or fiber-forming material 15 is fed by means of a guide spout or slag trough 16 from a cupola or furnace. If desired, the rotormay be hollow for the. passage therethrough of water or other coolant, and is afiixcd to one end of a shaft 17 adapted to be rapidly rotated by means of a motor 18 or other power source.

The molten slag or fiber-forming material 15 falls freely from thespout 16 and collects in the form of a thin sheet or layer on the inner surface 19 of the rotor 13, and as the latter is rotated at high speed the collected molten slag is continuously ejected centrifugally over the periph eral edge 21 of the rotor, its surface'tension is counter acted and the collected slag forcibly discharged in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor as rapidly moving streams or particles of the fiber-forming material.

Encompassing and spaced from the peripheral edge 21 of the rotor over which the fiber-forming material is discharged in a direction substantially perpendicular or normal to the axis of rotation is a high velocity gas burner 22 in the form of a continuous ring having relatively closely spaced orifices 23 through which jets of the hotgases issue into contact with the ejected molten fiberforming material. This gas burner ring 22 is disposedradially outward from and to the rear of the lip or peripheral edge 21 of the rotor 13 so as to provide space for the discharge of the centrifugally ejected fiber-forming material in. front of the jets of hot gases. As thisfiberforming material is projected into the high velocity gas jets, these jets divert this material from a path substantially perpendicular or normal to theaxis of rotation of the rotor and direct such material along a path substantially parallel to the axis of rotation where high velocity jets of steam issuing from the orifices 24 of an encompassing or concentric steam ring 25 impinge upon and flberize the molten material.

The steam ring 25 is disposed or mounted about the gas burner ring 22 and forwardly thereof in such manner that the ejected molten material impinged upon by the jets of hot gases from the burner is deflected thereby outwardly and forwardly into the path of the steam jets issuing from the steam ring 25. Thus when the steam jets from the multiple orifices 24 of the steam ring 25 impinge upon the fiber-forming material to fiberize the same, this material is travelling in a direction substantially parallel to the direction of the steam jets.

Not only do the high velocity gas jets change the path or direction of travel of the molten fiber-forming mate rial that is centrifugally ejected from the rotor, but the heat supplied by these gas jets prevents the ejected molten slag from cooling as it passes into the area of the steam jets.

The fibers produced in the manner above described are substantially longer and substantially more uniform than those produced in the conventional manner where the material is fiberized by the shattering forces resulting when jets of a relatively cool gas, such as steam, are employed to effect the change in direction as well as to fioerize.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fibers formed in the manner above described are drawn by any suitable suction apparatus 26 from the hood 10 and collection chamber or wool room 11 and collected upon a foraminous conveyor 27 where the deposited fibers form a batt or mineral wool blanket 28.

As but illustrative of the disclosed embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the molten slag or fiber-forming material 15 supplied to the distributing rotor 13 is approximately 2650 F., the diameter of the rotor is approximately 10 /2 inches and is revolved at a speed of approximately 800 r.p.m., although the diameter of the rotor and the speed of rotation may be substantially increased above or decreased below that given.

As further illustrative, the temperature of the gas flame emerging from the slots or orifices 23 of the gas burner 22 is aproximately 3000 F. and the velocity of approximately of the order of 500 f.p.s. The pressure from the steam ring is approximately 604%. These figures may also be varied substantially above and below those given, so long as the velocity of the emerging gas is insuflicient to cause fiberization of the molten slag or fiberforming material.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material comprising dispersing the molten mineral material into an outwardly moving pattern, supplying heat to and preventing cooling of the disspersed material while simultaneously substantially altering its direction of movement, and subsequently fiberizing said material by directing high-speed fluid thereinto, said high-speed fluid being applied in a direction generally parallel to the altered direction of movement of said material.

2. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material comprising dispersing the molten mineral material into an outwardly moving pattern, altering the direction of movement of said outwardly moving material and preventing it from cooling by impinging thereagainst a stream of heated fluid, and subsequently fiberizing said material by directing high-speed fluid thereinto, said high-speed fluid moving in a direction generally parallel to the direction of movement of said material subsequent to impingement of said heated fluid.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 and wherein said heated fluid comprises hot gases at a temperature above the temperature of the molten material.

4. The method set forth in claim 2 and wherein said molten material is at a temperature of about 2,650 P, and said heated fluid comprises gases at a temperature of about 3,000 P. moving at a velocity of about 500 f.p.s.

5. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material comprising depositing said molten material upon a rapidly rotating distributor, centrifugally forming an annular pattern of molten ma terial moving outwardly from said distributor substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said distributor, diverting said outwardly moving molten material toward a direction of movement parallel to said axis of rotation and preventing said material from cooling by impinging thereagainst an annular stream of heated fluid, and fiberizing the diverted material by directing thereinto an annular stream of high-speed fluid directed generally parallel to said axis of rotation in the direction of diver sion of said material by said heated fluid.

6. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material comprising depositing said molten material upon a rapidly rotating distributor rotating about a horizontal axis, centrifugally forming a substantially vertical annular pattern of molten material moving outwardly from said distributor, supplying heat to said outwardly moving material and preventing its cooling off while simultaneously diverting said outwardly moving material forwardly, relative to said distributor, to a generally horizontal direction of movement, and fiberizing the diverted material by directing thereinto an annular stream of high-speed fluid directed forwardly generally parallel to said horizontal axis.

7. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material, comprising depositing a stream of said molten material upon a rapidly rotating cup-shaped distributor, centrifugally ejecting the molten material at high velocity from the periphery of said distributor in a pattern of material moving outwardly substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said distributor, intercepting said ejected material with jets of hot gases which impinge against and divert the ejected molten material while preventing it from cooling, said jets of hot gases being directed forward relative to said distributor and substantially altering the direction of movement of said molten material forwardly toward a direction of movement parallel to said axis of rotation and into the path of high-speed jets of steam, and fiberizing the diverted molten material by directing thereinto high-speed jets of steam directed forwardly generally parallel to said axis of rotation.

8. Apparatus for forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material, comprising a cup-shaped distributing rotor for receiving said material, said cup having a peripheral discharge edge, means for rapidly rotating said rotor about a horizontal axis for ejecting said material from the peripheral edge of said rotor by centrifugal force in a substantially vertical plane, encompassing gas burner means spaced radially outwardly from and rearwardly of said peripheral edge for heating and diverting material ejected from said rotor without causing fiberization thereof, said burner means including orifice means directed forwardly substantially parallel to said horizontal axis, and a steam ring mounted about and spaced forwardly and radially outwardly from said burner means, said steam ring formed with orifice means spaced forwardly of said peripheral edge and directed forwardly for discharging fiberizing jets of steam axially of said rotor for fiberizing said material diverted forwardly by said burner means.

9. The method set forth in claim 2 and wherein said high-speed fluid is directed substantially normal to the direction of movement of the outwardly moving molten material and said heated fluid alters the direction of movement of the outwardly moving material to a direction of movement generally the same as the direction of movement of said high-speed fluid.

10. The method of forming mineral wool fibers from molten fiber-forming material comprising dispersing the molten mineral material into an outwardly moving pattern; impinging a stream of high temperature fluid against said outwardly moving material to deflect said material while preventing it from cooling; and directing a comparatively cool blast of highspeed fluid into said deflected material, while under the temperature maintenance influence of said high temperature fluid, to fiberize said material; said high-speed fluid being applied in a direction generally parallel tothe direction of movement of the deflected material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Drill et a1. Sept. 7, 1943 Downey Mar. 4, 1952 Downey July 28, 1953 Firnhaber et a1. Feb. 24, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia July 5, 1956 France July 2, 1956 

